New WaPo/ABC poll puts Obama at new job-approval low of 41%

posted at 8:01 am on April 29, 2014 by Ed Morrissey

Gallup recently found that Barack Obama’s job-approval erosion had paused, but the White House gets worse news today in the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll. Obama’s job approval hit a new low, his issues approval ratings are cratering, and voters are looking to the GOP for answers as the midterm cycle approaches:

Obama’s approval rating fell to 41 percent, down from 46 percent through the first three months of the year and the lowest of his presidency in Post-ABC News polls. Just 42 percent approve of his handling of the economy, 37 percent approve of how he is handling the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and 34 percent approve of his handling of the situation involving Ukraine and Russia.

That is Obama’s worst job approval rating in his presidency in this series. Last November, he hit 42/55, a wider spread, but 41% is a new nadir on approval alone. His economy number was slightly worse in November as well, but the 42/54 today is among the lowest of his presidency, too.

It’s also clear that the happy talk about the supposed eight million enrollments in ObamaCare didn’t stick. In March, Obama’s approval on ObamaCare implementation rebounded to 44/54 from its November low of 33/63. A few weeks later, Obama’s back to 37/57, with the “stronglys” at 24/46. And Obama’s electoral advice to Democrats, urging them to run on ObamaCare? Er …

The Post-ABC poll found that 44 percent say they support the law while 48 percent say they oppose it, which is about where it was at the end of last year and in January. Half of all Americans also say they think implementation is worse than expected.

Last month, a Post-ABC poll found 49 percent of Americans saying they supported the new law compared with 48 percent who opposed it. That finding was more positive for the administration than most other polls at the time. Democrats saw it as a possible leading indicator of a shift in public opinion, but that has not materialized.

A 58 percent majority say the new law is causing higher costs overall, and 47 percent say it will make the health-care system worse. While a majority say the quality of the health care they receive will remain the same, a plurality expect it to result in higher personal costs for that care.

There ins’t much to like in those numbers for incumbent Democrats. The news is worse among independents, where support for ObamaCare is only 39/54. They rate his overall job performance even lower, 33/59, and on the economy it’s 34/61. The only reason Obama scores as high as he does in this poll is because of overwhelming support from Democrats — and that’s not going to save people not named Barack Obama on midterm ballots.

That’s also reflected in the blame numbers, too. The wrong-track number rose to 66%, and three times as many blame Obama/Dems than the GOP, 27/9, with 62% blaming both. When asked whether it’s more important to elect Democrats to support Obama’s policies or Republicans to check Obama’s power, voters chose the latter == 39/53, respectively. That’s similar to the 39/55 seen in September 2010, just before the wave election cost Obama the House.

Note: The D/R/I sample on this poll was 32/21/38, a D+11, up from the D+8 in March.

Breaking on Hot Air

Blowback

Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.

They have been calling this poll an outlier. So when Obama lingers in the low forties and jumps to a low 41% approval- its an outlier… but the poll by NBC/WSJ in March that shot up 6 points signaled his come back. No wonder Shultz and Sharpton are embraced over there.

Something tells me WaPo/ABC knew he’d dip into the 30′s without that D+11 sample, so they skewed it in order to maintain that 40+ figure. There’s no way the electorate looks like that. Even in 2012 when he got his base to the polls, it was D+7(or was it 6?). You use a breakdown like that and he’s probably at 37% approval right now which is in Dubya 2nd term territory.

It appears a majority of dumbass Americans simply fail to comprehend the incredible brilliance and altruistic nature of our president – our nation is actually truly fortunate.

President Obama is an extremely intelligent man, he understands the majority of Americans are opposed to universal health care, the fight against Global Warming, social equality, socially responsible businesses, etc. He also understands that most Americans are extremely ignorant and misinformed on these matters. His sworn oath and duty is to progress this country and its people, even if must be accomplished over the rejections of the self-indulgent, persistent and uninformed majority.

President Obama is consciously and selflessly sacrificing the admiration and support of most of America – and he’s doing it all for our own benefit.

Yes Democratic turnout tends to be lower in midterm years and the GOP will do well in the House. But the idea that Democrats will only and forever vote for Barack Obama is idiocy.

libfreeordie on April 29, 2014 at 8:31 AM

You think if the Dem nominee in 2016 is someone like O’Malley or Cuomo, their turnout won’t plummet? The problem with a cult-like figure leading your party is that when you take them out of the equation, the whole thing collapses. Now they’re trying to plug Hillary into that same role, but if she could inspire similar turnout, she would’ve won the nomination in 2008.

Wow, this would be exciting if Boehner wasn’t hellbent on pushing Amnesty and giving the Dems a near-permanent majority…and if “libertarians” like Rand Paul weren’t turning into surrender monkeys on Obamacare.

In other words, I’d be excited if we had a legitimate opposition party that might win in November.

The biggest parlor game on Wall Street and in corporate boardrooms these days is guessing whether former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will run for president and save the GOP’s old establishment base from its rising populist wing.
The second most popular game is guessing what happens if Jeb says no.
Two dozen interviews about the 2016 race with unaligned GOP donors, financial executives and their Washington lobbyists turned up a consistent — and unusual — consolation candidate if Bush demurs, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie doesn’t recover politically and no other establishment favorite gets nominated: Hillary Clinton.

The darkest secret in the big money world of the Republican coastal elite is that the most palatable alternative to a nominee such as Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas or Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky would be Clinton.

Now they’re trying to plug Hillary into that same role, but if she could inspire similar turnout, she would’ve won the nomination in 2008.

Doughboy on April 29, 2014 at 8:40 AM

Killary has a bunch of rabid stupid women behind her. That doesn’t mean she’s a good candidate. They had to literally buy her a Senate seat by selling pardons to terrorists. She tanked as a Presidential candidate at first contact with Obama’s campaign. Even today, she can’t list a single thing that she accomplished in the four years as SecState even as we see the results of all that she didn’t do.

If Killary is the candidate, it won’t be the same easy ride that the filthy rat-eared wonder enjoyed in 2008. Unless, of course, the GOP does something stupid like nominating a fat bully as their nominee.

The darkest secret in the big money world of the Republican coastal elite is that the most palatable alternative to a nominee such as Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas or Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky would be Clinton.

…which proves the GOP, so long as in establishment hands, is Big Govt Party #2 – and goes a long way toward explaining why the country is in the mess it’s in.

I am not sure I see the point here – Doesn’t this demonstrate how effective buying votes, with demagoguery and government handouts, truly is? He should be resigning from office right now, with Putin riding his lovely derriere in ecstasy, but he has a 41% approval rating instead. Pelosi and Reid should be jumping with joy, squealing, “Go Vlad, Go Vlad!”

Yes Democratic turnout tends to be lower in midterm years and the GOP will do well in the House. But the idea that Democrats will only and forever vote for Barack Obama is idiocy.
libfreeordie on April 29, 2014 at 8:31 AM

True. As Alcee Hastings shows, people like you will vote for anyone as long as they’re black and Democrat .

Last month, a Post-ABC poll found 49 percent of Americans saying they supported the new law compared with 48 percent who opposed it. That finding was more positive for the administration than most other polls at the time. Democrats saw it as a possible leading indicator of a shift in public opinion, but that has not materialized.

It’s an ABC/WaPo poll?

Note: The D/R/I sample on this poll was 32/21/38, a D+11, up from the D+8 in March.

Makes you wonder what the results would be with neutral bias questions and a proper sample. Only a delusional Democrat could take an a WaPo/ABC poll seriously.

Never EVER trust polls from the MSM. All this is is a setup for THE BIG OBAMA COMEBACK heading into November. You see, if they have Obama at 41% now, 48% in November will be touted a a huge comeback and momentum, rather than being underwater.

Republicans remember, the Left is ALWAYS setting you up. They will NEVER see the light. They will NEVER get religion. They will ALWAYS lie to you and about you.

On a sidenote, the 21% Republicans is just amusing. It used to be 24% Republicans. I guess they are going for a new normal here. Before long they will be trying to convince us that less than 20% identify as Republican. And by the way, I am sure that 21% is a “weighted” number meaning their actual results were higher and they just lowered it to 21 on purpose.

A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly.

But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist.

I keep seeing these worthless, inane approval polls everywhere on an almost daily basis. Obama’s approval rating drops!! WhooHoo!! Who cares? I couldn’t care less if I tried.
The people had a chance to do what they’re doing in these polls in the only poll that counts. Yet with all they knew about him, and one term in office of him, they still chose to re-elect him.
Want to know who else couldn’t care less? Obama. He sits in the Oval Office on his second term, and knows when he leaves he’ll spend the rest of his life a wealthy and worshiped man.
I’m sure these polls give him a good laugh- if he even notices them at all.